Tower packing



J. S. ECKERT TOWER PACKING March 28, 1967 Filed Dec. 17, 1965 FIG.

INVENTOR. JOHN S. ECKERT h flaw ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,311,356 TOWER PACKTNG John S. Eckert, Silver Lake, Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments, to US. Stoneware, Inc, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Dec. 17, 1965, Ser. No. 524,988 8 Claims. (Cl. 26194-) This invention relates to a new tower packing element and the combination of such packing in a tower.

It has previously been proposed to stamp a packing element from a rectangular sheet of metal. The sheet is slit with several slits which terminate short of the sides of the sheet. These slits are parallel, and spaced the same distance from one another. Then the area between the slits has been rounded, alternate sheets being rounded in opposite directions. This packing has not been too satisfactory (1) because of the small area of contact it provides per cubic inch and (2) because it is deficient in the number of interstitial transfer points it provides. The interstitial transfer points are the points from which the liquid drains to an adjacent packing element which may or may not be in physical contact with it. The efiiciency of the gas-liquid transfer varies with the number of such trans-fer points within a packing bed.

The packing of this invention is also prepared from a rectangular sheet, with parallel slits, usually evenly spaced, the ends of the slits terminating short of the edges of the sheet. Moreover, the areas between the slits are bulged out, alternate areas being bulged in opposite directions. The improved efiiciency of these new elements is due to the fact that the bulged areas are not rounded, but each is formed with at least two humps, and may comprise three or more humps. Usually these humps are rounded, but they may be angular. In this way the area of contact between the gas and liquid per cubic inch is increased, and the number of interstitial transfer points is increased.

Although usually made of metal, the elements may be molded of a ceramic or plastic composition.

The invention is further described in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which- FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of a packing element;

FIGURE 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the same; and

FIGURE 4 is a section through a tower showing a support plate with a bed of such elements on it.

The element 1 is formed with fins 2 and 3 at its opposite edges, and usually these lie in the same plane although this is not necessary. The element is shown as being 3,3 l 3,35% Patented Mar. 28, 1967 formed of metal. Parallel slits extend between the inner edges of the fins, separating the element into areas 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 which at their ends are integral with the fins. Alternate areas are bulged in opposite directions, and two humps a and b are bulged outwardly in each of these areas.

Although the points a and b are in lines parallel to the fins, this is not necessary because the humps may be inclined in opposite directions, and their surfaces need not be imperforate. Furthermore, the fins may converge toward one end of the element.

The areas may vary in size, depending upon the size of the tower, the operation to be conducted within it, etc.

FIGURE 4 shows tower 15, with support plate 16 resting on the ledge 17 within the tower. The bed 18 is made up of these packing elements. The tower is provided with a liquid inlet adjacent its top and a liquid outlet near its bottom. The gas is supplied to either the bottom or the top of the tower depending upon whether the gas and liquid are to flow concurrently or countercurrent to one another.

The invention is disclosed in the claims which follow.

What I claim is:

1. A packing element which includes a fin along each of its opposite edges, strips connecting these fins and having substantially parallel edges perpendicular to the fins, adjacent strips bulging in opposite directions, with the bulges indented to form at least two transfer points.

2. A tower for treating a gas and a liquid, which tower contains a bed of the packing elements of claim 1.

3. The element of claim 1 which is made of metal.

4. A tower for treating a gas and a liquid, which tower contains a bed of the packing elements of claim 3.

5. The element of claim 1 in which said strips bulge in opposite directions, and the fins lie in substantially the same plane.

6. A tower for treating a gas and a liquid, which tower contains a bed of the packing elementsof claim 5.

7. The element of claim 5 in which each strip includes two and only two transfer points and these are rounded humps.

8. A tower for treating a gas and a liquid, which tower contains a bed of the packing elements of claim 7.

References tCited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1952 Cannon 261- 5/1958 Hament 261-95 X 

1. A PACKING ELEMENT WHICH INCLUDES A FIN ALONG EACH OF ITS OPPOSITE EDGES, STRIPS CONNECTING THESE FINS AND HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL EDGES PERPENDICULAR TO THE FINS, ADJACENT STRIPS BULGING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, WITH THE BULGES INDENTED TO FORM AT LEAST TWO TRANSFER POINTS. 